Grade K: Unit 6

What are wants and needs?

This instructional task engages students in content related to the following grade-level expectations:
• K.5.1 Identify wants and basic needs
Content
• K.5.3 Discuss the concept of scarcity within classroom situations
• K.5.5 Describe jobs that people do to earn money
In this instructional task, students develop and express claims through discussions and writing in which
they identify and provide examples of elements of an economic system, with an emphasis on wants
Claims and needs. Students engage with the sources to build their understanding of the content to explain
how society, the environment, the political and economic landscape, and historical events influence
perspectives, values, traditions, and ideas by corroborating sources and evaluating evidence.
This instructional task helps students explore and develop claims around the content from unit 5:
• What are wants and needs? (K.5.1)
Unit Connection
• What is scarcity and how can it impact us in the classroom? (K.5.3)
• How do we obtain what we want and need? (K.5.5)

Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task

1 2 3
What are wants and needs? What is scarcity and how can it How do we obtain what we
Supporting Questions
impact us in the classroom? want and need?
Students will identify wants and Students will discuss how Students will draw and write
Tasks basic needs. scarcity could impact the about ways we obtain what we
classroom. want and need.
Source A: Needs and Wants, Source B: “The Grasshopper Source C: “Saving and
Featured Sources Reading A-Z and the Ants,” ABC Mouse Spending,” Brain Pop Jr.

As a class using shared and interactive writing, students compose a letter to the school principal to
Summative
answer the questions: “What is something we’d like to have in our classroom? Is it a want or a need?
Performance Task
How will it be obtained?”

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Formative Performance Task 1

Supporting Question What are wants and needs?

Task Students will identify wants and basic needs.

Featured Source Source A: Needs and Wants, Reading A-Z

This formative performance task requires students to identify wants and needs, and be able to provide
Content and Claims
examples of each. (K.5.1)

Featured Source
Source A: Needs and Wants, Reading A-Z

Steps
1. Access prior knowledge of wants and needs through discussion. Create a class chart during the discussion using
a T-chart labeled Needs on the left side and Wants on the right side. Use chart paper or a pocket chart, so
students can sort their needs and wants on each side of the T-chart. A sample T-chart is included below.

NEEDS WANTS

2. Give each student two index cards (or half sheets of white paper).
3. Have them write or draw a need on one index card and one want on an index card.
4. Then ask each student to present the need and want to the class and explain why.
5. Direct students to sort their examples onto the T-chart.
6. Then say: “We are going to learn more about human wants and needs. Listen as I read aloud a quick book that
explains needs and wants. As a I read, listen for what makes a need and want similar and different.”
7. Read aloud and project Source A: Needs and Wants to students. Point to words as they are read, asking
students to read aloud high frequency words and support decoding of words using the illustrations. For
example, on page 7, cover up the word “red.” Read aloud the sentence with the blank. Ask students to identify
what word could go in the blank. Reveal the first letter “r.” Ask students to identify from their list of words, the
initial letter, and the illustration, what the word goes in the blank. Then work with students to fill in the blank

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with the word “red,” identifying the letters. Depending on the ability level of students, ask a student to write
the word in the blank.
8. Following the read aloud, conduct a discussion. Possible guiding questions include:
a. What is a want?
b. What is a need?
c. What is an example of a want? A need? Direct students refer to the text to provide examples.
d. Can something be both a want and a need? What do you think? Why?
9. Ask students to work with a partner to evaluate the T-chart created at the beginning of the task.
10. Direct pairs to locate 1 need that is in the right place and 1 want that is in the right place and be able to explain
why to the class. Also, ask pairs to locate either a need or want that might be in the wrong place and be able to
explain why to the class.
11. Then have each pair share out their responses, calling on different pairs to share similar or different thinking
based on what another pair shared. As the pairs refine their thinking, as them to move the index cards to the
appropriate side of the T-chart.

Student Look-Fors
1. Students should be able to identify a want (something a person would like to have) and a need (something a
person must have to survive).
2. Students should be able to describe and distinguish between a want and a need.
3. Students should be able to provide examples of wants and needs.
4. Student should be able to explain and revise their thinking with a peer and with the class.
5. Students’ responses should follow the English language arts standards for reading foundations, reading
informational texts, speaking and listening, and writing at kindergarten.

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Formative Performance Task 2

Supporting Question What is scarcity and how can it impact us in the classroom?

Task Students will discuss how scarcity could impact the classroom.

Featured Source Source B: “The Grasshopper and the Ants,” ABC Mouse
In this formative performance task, students explore scarcity and how it could have an effect in the
Content and Claims
classroom. (K.5.3)

Featured Source
Source B: “The Grasshopper and the Ants,” ABC Mouse

Steps
1. Say to students: “We are going to learn more about wants and needs. As we watch this video about the
grasshopper and the ants, pay attention to what the ants say the grasshopper should do and how the
grasshopper responds.”
2. Show Source B: “The Grasshopper and the Ants.”
3. Work on vocabulary with students, asking them to determine real-life applications for words from the video.
Focus on load, storing, noticed, gather, snug, lesson, prepare. Display the words with images for students to
reference later in the task.
4. Create a class chart to record the ants’ warnings and grasshopper’s responses. As needed, watch the video
again to complete the chart as a class. Provide written words and drawings (e.g., a corn kernel or a flower for
spring) to support students’ abilities to use the chart as notes for a later assignment in this task.

Ants’ Warning Grasshopper’s Response

“You should come work with us. It’s going to be a
long winter with lots of snow. You had better
start storing your food now.”
“You should gather some wheat, too. It’s going
to be a long winter with lots of snow.”
“You should gather some corn, too. It’s going to
be a long winter with lots of snow. You had
better start storing your food now.”
“Why worry about the winter? It’s only spring
and there’s lots of food everywhere.”
“I have all the food that I need right now. Why
worry about winter? It’s still summer.”
“That’s too much work. Winter is not here yet,
and when it comes, I am sure I will be able to
find some food.”

5. Engage students in a discussion. Prompt students during the discussion to use the vocabulary studied at the
beginning of the task. Possible guiding questions:
a. What happens in this video? Turn and talk to your shoulder partner to retell the events of the video.
Remember to identify who is in this video and tell your partner what happens to the characters in the
beginning, middle, and end of the video.

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b. Look at our class chart. What are the ants doing? Why?
c. Look at our class chart. What does the grasshopper do? Why?
d. Are the ants focusing on their needs or wants? What happens to the ants as a result of where they
focus their time?
e. Is the grasshopper focusing on his needs or his wants? What happens to the grasshopper as a result of
where he focuses his time? What does this teach us about needs and wants?
6. Explore the term, “scarcity” as it applies to real life and the video.
a. Explain the meaning of the word (shortness of supply; not having enough).
b. Ask students: “What would happen if there were not enough chairs for everyone in our classroom?
How would we decide who would be able to use a chair and who would not? There are 18 students in
our class. We have 15 snacks. What is the problem? How can we solve this problem?”
c. Ask the students to give examples of times they did not have enough of something.
d. Ask the students to tell in their own words what scarcity means.
e. Ask the students to explain how scarcity applies to “The Ant and the Grasshopper.”

Student Look-Fors
1. Students should be able to distinguish between a want and a need.
2. Students should retell parts of the story where ant gives warnings and grasshopper responds. These should be
recorded on the class chart.
3. Students should recognize that the ants are preparing and taking care of their needs, but the grasshopper is
not.
4. Students should be able to define scarcity and explain how it impacts people.
5. Students’ responses should display evidence of problem solving and may include, but may not be limited to:
a. When there are not enough chairs for everyone to sit in, we could take turns sitting in the chairs.
b. If there are not enough chairs to sit in, we could draw names to decide who could sit in the chairs.
c. If there are not enough chairs, some of us could sit on the floor.
d. If there are not enough chairs to sit in, we could ask the custodian to bring us some more chairs from
the storeroom.
e. If we have 18 students and only 15 snacks, we could break the snacks in half and share the pieces.
6. Students’ responses should follow the English language arts standards for language (vocabulary), reading
literature, and speaking and listening at kindergarten.

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Formative Performance Task 3

Supporting Question How do we obtain what we want and need?

Task Students will draw and write about ways we obtain what we want and need.

Featured Source Source C: “Saving and Spending,” Brain Pop Jr.

This formative performance task requires students to explain how we can obtain what we need and
Content and Claims
want. (K.5.5)

Featured Source
Source C: “Saving and Spending,” Brain Pop Jr.

Steps
1. Say to students: “We are going to learn more about items we need and want and how we can obtain or get
those items.”
2. Ask students to explain how they think we are able to obtain items that we want and need.
3. Play Source C: “Saving and Spending” for students. Stop, as needed, to engage students in a discussion on
saving and spending. Replay sections, as needed, for students to provide examples to support their ideas.
Possible guiding questions include:
a. How do people get money?
b. What is an allowance?
c. How do people spend money?
d. What types of things should you spend money on first?
e. How do you know if you are getting the best price for something?
f. What is a budget?
g. How do people save money?
h. Why do people save money?
i. What does it mean to donate?
4. Divide the class into pairs using an established classroom routine.
5. Ask pairs to discuss items on the T-chart they need and want and add any items not already listed.
6. Then have each student select one item (a need or want) and discuss as a pair how they plan to obtain the
item.
7. Ask students to answer the following questions a class through shared writing. Ensure that each student
contributes.
a. How are you able to obtain your wants or needs?
b. How do your parents and other adults obtain items they want and need?

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8. Direct students to draw a picture of their chosen item, label it, and write a sentence with one way they plan to
obtain the item. Use sentence frames as necessary.
9. When students have completed the illustration and sentence, allow time for them to orally read the sentences
and show the illustration to the class.

Student Look-Fors
1. Students should understand the following: There are items that humans need, as well as items that they want.
Wants and needs may be obtained by saving and spending.
2. Students can identify and write about facts pertaining to wants and needs such as:
a. A want is something someone desires to have.
b. A need is something someone must have to be able to live.
c. Write a complete sentence, or two, containing specific information on an item of their choosing,
explaining whether it is a want or a need, and describing how the item may be obtained.
3. Students’ responses should follow the English language arts standards for speaking and listening and writing at
kindergarten.

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Summative Performance Task

Compelling Question Do we always get what we want or need? Why or why not?
As a class using shared and interactive writing, students compose a letter to the school principal to
Task answer the questions: “What is something we’d like to have in our classroom? Is it a want or a need?
How will it be obtained?”

Teacher Overview
In this summative performance task, students are asked to write and illustrate a response to the compelling question
using evidence from the sources they explored throughout the formative performance tasks.

Students gained knowledge about the differences between needs and wants, examples of each, and how to obtain
them. Students also practiced skills in writing and speaking about social studies content, such as discussing how to
obtain goods and services to meet needs and wants.

Student Prompt
Today we are going to write a letter to our principal explaining what we would like to have in our classroom and why
we should have it.

Before we write, think about your answers to the following questions:

• What is something you would like to have in our classroom?
• Is it a want or a need?
• How will we obtain it?

As a class, let’s vote to select one item to request from our principal. Then let’s work together to write a letter to our
principal which asks for the item. We will also need to explain why we should have the item and how we can go about
getting it.

Student Look-Fors
1. An exemplar response may include but is not limited to:
a. Identifies the requested item for the classroom (e.g. a new computer for the classroom)
b. Specifies whether it is a want or a need (e.g. Students might identify a computer as a need if the class
doesn’t have a computer and they cannot complete their school work without it; students might identify
a computer (or a faster or newer computer) as a want if they already have a class computer, but they
need another one so that more students can use the computer at the same time or a faster or newer
computer because the old computer is not fast enough.)

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c. Explains possible outcomes for how it will be obtained (e.g. The kindergarten class could sponsor a
fundraiser such as students paying to come to school out of uniform to raise money for the computer.)
2. A strong response:
a. References documents appropriately.
i. An explanation of wants and needs. (Source A)
ii. An explanation, including examples, of scarcity and potential solutions. (Source B)
iii. An explanation of how wants and needs may be obtained. (Source C)
b. Applies the provided evidence and provides additional information outside of the provided sources.
i. Background information on their experiences and connections with using money to purchase
needs and wants.
3. Student responses should follow the English language arts standards for written expression at grade K.